Fire-escape.



'PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907,

K. LEON & A. B. DOWELL.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLIOATION 11.31) 11x22. 1906.

Elm-846,418

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No..846,418. PATBNTBD MAR. 5, 1907. K. LEON &* A. E. DOWELL.

FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

KALMAN LEON AND ARTHUR E.

DOWELL, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA; SAID DOWELL ASSIGNOR TO SAID LEON.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed March 22, 1906. Serial Np. 307,486.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, KALMAN LEON and ARTHUR E. DowELL, both of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in fireescapes; and its object is to provide areliable and simple apparatus whereby one or a number of persons may safely lower themselves from a burning building, and, if necessary, the apparatus can be used by firemen or others as a ladder to reach different stories of the building.

The apparatus consists, substantially, of a suspending and controlling device adapted to be attached to the upper part of the building, preferably under the cornice and preferably carrying a folding ladder-chain which can be released whenever desired by simply pulling a releasing cord or wire which can extend within easy reach of any of the underlying windows in the building, and when the wire is pulled the endlesschain ladder is released and hangs within easy reach of the windows and the occupants of any of the rooms can readily get onto the ladder and easily descend with safety. The ladder-chain is preferably endless and is operated by the weight of the person or ersons thereon; but too rapid descent of the loaded part of the ladder is prevented by automatically-operating braking devices.

The apparatus is particularly useful for women, children, and invalids and does not require acrobatic skill or great strength to enable it to be used, as the rungs of the ladder provide footholds and persons do not have to sustain themselves thereon merely by the grip of their hands, which few people would be able to do long enough to descend safely if they were at any considerable height above the ground.

The invention consists in the novel construction of the apparatus, as hereinafter claimed, and the accompanying drawings illustrate a practical form thereof which, in connection with the following description thereof, will enable others to construct and use the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view having opposite similar arms 1 1,

of the complete device. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 8, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view with the cover-plate removed, showing the brake devices. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a slight modification. Fig. 7 is a view of another modification.

The apparatus, as shown, comprises a double-armed frame or suspending device which are connected to a shank member 1, by which the frame can be hinged toa wall-bracket 2-, which should be permanently fastened to the wall of the building adjacent and preferably above one of the upper windows thereof, so that the frame can be swung horizontally into position to bring the endless ladder or suspending device into a position where it can be readily and safely caught by any one wishing to descend thereby when the apparatus is in use. o p

The arms 1 1 diverge; but their outer portions 1 which carry the operative parts of the apparatus, are parallel. In the portions 1 are formed bearings 1 for a primary or main shaft 3, which is provided with sprockets 3*, secure'd thereon adjacent the inner faces of parts 1*, over which sprockets run a flexible lowering device, preferably consisting of endless sprocket-chains 4, Whose links are connected at intervals by transverse tie rods 45*, the chains and rods forming an endless-chain ladder whose rungs 4 are parallel with shaft 3, so that the ladder can run easily over the said sprockets 3 and will be thereby kept in true alinement.

f The particular construction of the endless chains is not a material feature of the resent invention. It must be constructer sufficiently accurately to insure its smooth running over the sprockets, and it must be strong enough to enable it to sustain considerable weight. The chain, moreover, should be long enough to reach when extended from the point where the device is attached to the building to or close to the ground, so that any one can descend with safety to the ground.

In order to prevent the chains accidentally jumping off the sprockets, curved guards 1 may be formed on or attached to the inner faces of parts 1 as indicated in the drawings, and, if desired, a tie-bar 1 may be fastened to and between members 1 over the shaft 3 in a position not to interfere with the chain, and it may assist in keeping the chain rungs in alinement.

On shaft 3, preferably on the outer ends thereof, are fixed gears 3", which mesh with small pinions 5 on adjacent rotary shafts 5, which are journaled in bearings I in mem bers 1 and in bearings 6 on plates 6, which are removably fastened to parts 1 by bolts or screws 6 or in any other convenient manner. The plates 6 cover circular recesses 1 in the parts 1 through which recesses the rotatable shafts 5 extend axially, as shown, said shafts being parallel with the shaft 3. WVitlLin the recesses 1 are placed centrifugal brake members 7, which can be made of any desired form and are adapted to be thrown out of centrifugal action against the circular walls of the recess and by their frictional contact thereagain st will control the rotation of shafts 5 and 3.

As shown, the brake members 7 are nearly semicircular and are located on diametrically opposite sides of the related shaft 5 and are provided with axial recesses 7, which are engaged by wings or lugs 5 on shaft 5, which lugs may be provided with rounded heads 5 and will cause the weights to rotate in the recesses with the shafts 5 and prevent free centrifugal movement of the weights. The projections 5 can be conveniently formed in tegral with shafts 5, if desired, although. this is not an essential feature of the invention It is necessary, however, that the weights should be rotated with and by shaft 5. Obviously when shaft 3 is rotated, as by a weight or pull on the chain ladder 4, the shafts 5 will be rotated much more rapidly and weights 7 will be similarly rotated in the recesses, and the faster they are rotated the greater will be the friction engendered. The gearing between shafts 3 and 5 and the mass of the weight 7 should be so proportioned that excesslve or dangerous speed of movement of the chain ladder when loaded will be effectually prevented by the friction of the weights which operate automatically, ac cording to the weight on the ladder, so that one or more persons can safely descend on the ladder at the same time. The shafts 5 may be slipped into position after the weights are placed in the recesses, then the pinions 5 may be secured thereto, then plates 6 may be secured in place, and if the wings 5 are formed integral with the shafts obviously the latter cannot slip endwise out of their bearings. In some cases the opposite shafts 5 may be integralthat is, they can be formed as one shaft extending across the frame, as indicated in Fig. 6-and in this case aroller 5 might be put on such shaft, and the chain 4 could run over this roller, if desired, and thus the ascending and descending runs of the chain be further separated.

If the escape is to be employed for individual rooms only, instead of using an endless chain a rope or wire 8 could be wound upon shaft 3 of sufficient length to reach from the window to the ground and provided with a ring 8 or other device, by which a person could readily suspend himself thereon. Such a device fire the occupant of the room would merely have to grasp the chain, swing the bracket outward, and descend in perfect safety.

When the device is used for large buildings, the frame 1 should be attached to the upper part thereof and the chain ladder coiled or folded into a compact bundle, which should be tied by a wire or other easily-disconnectible device (not shown) and the bundle fas tened to the frame, so as to remain out of the way until the device is to be used, when by pulling a releasing wire or cord (not shown) the bundle is unfastened and the ladder drops, as indicatedin Fig. 2, and the occupants of the underlying adjacent rooms can grasp the ladder and support themselves thereon while they descend, the brakes automatically preventing too rapid descent of the person. or persons.

The use of such an apparatus enables persons to ascend, if desired, to rescue invali'ds or children who cannot lower themselves, as the chain can be held stationary by persons on theground and then used. as a ladder, or'a person can be drawn up on one run of the chain while others are descending on the inner run thereof. The length of the chain ladder would of course depend upon the height of the building, and the number of the apparatus employed would depend upon the number of escapes which the owners desire or are compelled to install.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination of a supporting-frame, provided with a circular recess and shaft-bearings, a main shaft journaled in the bearings, a plate detachably but fixedly secured to the frame and covering the recess and having a bearing for the end of a secondar shaft, a lowering device connected with said main shaft, a secondary rotatable shaft extending axially through the recess and having one end journaled in a bearing in the frame at the bottom of the recess and its other end journaled in the bearing in the plate, and centrifuga'llyacting frictional brakes in said recess connected to and rotatable with and by said secondary shaft, and gearing between the main and secondary shafts, substantially as described.

2. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination of a supporting-frame, provided with opposite circular recesses, a main shaft extending across the frame and journaled in bearings in said frame adjacent the recesses, sprockets is indicated in Fig. 7, and in case of on opposite sides of and rotatable with and by said secondary shafts, and gearing between the main and secondary shafts, substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination of a branched frame having circular recesses in its arms and fixed plates covering said recesses and detachably attached to the frame, a rotatable main shaft j ournaled in said arms, adjacent the recesses, sprockets on said shaft, an endless ladder running over said sprockets, removable secondary rotatable shafts extending axially through said re cesses and journaled in bearings in the arms and plates and provided with projections, centrifugally-acting friction-brake members in said recesses loosely engaged by said projections and thereby caused to rotate with such shafts, and gearing between the main shaft and the secondary shafts, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a branched frame having circular recesses in its arms near their outer ends, removable plates covering said recesses and fixedly attached to the frame, rotatable shafts extending axially through said recesses and journaled in the frame and plates and provided with oppositely-projecting wings or lugs within the recesses, and oppositely-disposed friction-brake members in said recesses loosely engaging said lugs; with a main shaft journaled in the arms adjacent said recesses, gearing between said shaft and the winged shafts, and a flexible lowering device connected with the main shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a fireescape, the combination of a branched frame having circular recesses in its arms near their outer ends, means for attaching the frame to a wall, removable plates fixedly attached to the frame and covering said recesses, rotatable shafts journaled in the arms and plates and extending axially through said recesses and provided with oppositely-projecting wings or lugs within the recesses, and pinions on the outer ends of said winged. shafts, and oppositely-disposed frictionbrake members in said recesses loosely engaging said wings; with a main shaft extending across the frame and journaled in the arms adjacent said recesses, gears on said. shaft engaging the pinions on the winged shafts, sprockets on the main shaft, and an endless sprocket-chain ladder running over said sprockets, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

KALMAN LEON. ARTHUR E. DOI/VELL. In presence of JOHN L. FLETCHER, JAMEs R. MANSFIELD. 

